Even though the 2025-26 season kicked off last Saturday with #22 Iowa State beating #17 Kansas State 24-21 in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, the real action picks up this weekend with 74 games involving at least one Division-I school scheduled between tonight and Monday. Thankfully, we have identified the best matchups that you should be watching this weekend and who the winners of those contests will be.
#1 Texas @ #3 Ohio State
Saturday, August 30th at 12:00 p.m. EDT
We get started hot right out of the gate with a potential College Football Playoff National Championship game taking place in Columbus, Ohio. The top-ranked Longhorns are hoping to exact revenge for their CFP semifinals loss to the Buckeyes.
In terms of veteran leadership and on-field experience, these programs are in a dead heat. Ohio State and Texas are bringing back nine starters apiece from last season. The Longhorns return three offensive players and six defenders, while the Buckeyes are bringing back six offensive contributors and three defensive players from last year’s roster.
Quarterback play will be huge in this matchup. Texas has a Heisman Trophy favorite in Arch Manning, the nephew of Eli and Peyton. Meanwhile, the Buckeyes will be relying on redshirt freshman Julian Sayin to come out guns blazing in his first start at the collegiate level.
There are also some generationally talented individuals playing for both squads. Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is arguably the best pass catcher in college football, and safety Caleb Downs looks like a surefire top-five pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, Texas linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. is one of the most versatile defenders in the country.
Even though the Buckeyes have the home-field advantage, Julian Sayin is an unproven commodity at the quarterback spot. Meanwhile, Arch Manning’s 87.5 QBR would have been the third-highest mark in the country last season had he registered enough dropbacks. I have more confidence in him than I do Sayin.
Texas wins 31-29
#8 Alabama @ Florida State
Saturday, August 30th at 3:30 p.m. EDT
Last year couldn’t have gone more differently for these two programs. In the first season of the post-Nick Saban era at Alabama, the Crimson Tide still managed to go 9-4 and were in the hunt for a spot in the College Football Playoff up until they fell to the Oklahoma Sooners 24-3 on November 23rd. On the other hand, the Seminoles went 2-10 and had their lowest single-season winning percentage since 1974, when they only won a single game.
There shouldn’t be any concern about Alabama being competitive. The last time this school finished with a losing record was 2003. Even without Nick Saban, Alabama remains one of the most competitive college football programs in the country, as proven by the seven players they had drafted to the NFL from last year’s team.
Things might look a little different for the ‘Noles this season. Head coach Mike Norvell is on the hot seat, which means he will be coaching his tail off and making sure that Florida State doesn’t suffer any embarrassments similar to last season. With that being said, if the Seminoles get off to a slow start, Norvell will be out of a job before Halloween.
Alabama has more than double the number of returning starters as Florida State (14 vs. 6). The Crimson Tide are also just generally a more talented team than the Seminoles, which is why they will have no problem picking up a win on the road to start their season.
Alabama wins 27-11
#9 LSU @ #4 Clemson
Saturday, August 30th at 7:30 p.m. EDT
This is not only a top-ten game, but it also features one of the marquee quarterback matchups we will get to see all season at the collegiate level. Clemson’s Cade Klubnik and LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier both have the potential to be top-five draft picks next April. Getting to see a rivalry blossom between these two will be a sight to behold.
Clemson will undoubtedly play as a cohesive unit and come out hot. They are bringing back 16 starters from last season’s squad. Only the Arizona State Sun Devils have more returning starters heading into this season. On top of that, three of those returning players are wide receivers, who already have a feel for Cade Klubnik’s tendencies as a quarterback. Factor in defensive linemen Peter Woods and T.J. Parker, the best one-two defensive line combination in the country, and the Tigers should be able to give LSU problems.
LSU is only bringing back seven starters from last season, which is worrisome for a game of this magnitude on the road in one of the most hostile stadiums in the country. While their returning players are all very skilled, the only starter they have on the offensive line who was on the team last season is center DJ Chester, who could struggle against Parker and Woods.
Expect Clemson’s defense to wreak havoc on an LSU team that has four new starters along the offensive line. Even if LSU’s defense manages to contain Cade Klubnik, I don’t think their offense will be able to make a lot happen on the road.
Clemson wins 24-21
#6 Notre Dame vs. #10 Miami
Sunday, August 31st at 7:30 p.m. EDT
With the NFL regular season beginning next week, we get the rare opportunity to watch meaningful college football on a Sunday. Notre Dame is looking to make it back to the College Football Playoff, and that journey starts with a road game against the Miami Hurricanes.
Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love will be the engine that makes Notre Dame’s offense go. After scoring 17 touchdowns on the ground last year, the preseason All-American will be looking to build on that production this year. That task will be easier since the Fighting Irish have three starters returning along the offensive line.
The Hurricanes lost a ton of talent to the NFL. Last year’s starting quarterback, Cam Ward, was the number-one overall pick in the 2025 Draft. Plus, Miami no longer has its top two receivers and its number one running back from last season. Though they have five returning starters on the defensive side of the ball, that might not be enough to elevate a unit that was 69th in points allowed per game last year (25.3).
Notre Dame’s specialty last year was defense, where they finished fourth in the country in points per game allowed (15.5). With six starters returning on that side of the ball, including a preseason All-American in cornerback Leonard Moore, the Fighting Irish should be able to limit a Miami offense that will look very different from the one we saw last season.
Notre Dame wins 28-20
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